HONEST, AL Presidential mendacity is not a pretty sight. To nip it in the bud, we at Notebook pledge to keep an eye on the presidential candidates, rating their less than truthful statements from slight exaggeration ([one shovel]) to whopper ([five shovels]). First up: Al Gore

STATEMENT "I was a small-business person, a home builder."

REALITY Nine houses were built by Gore's company. He was also working as a reporter and studying at Vanderbilt University at the time.